300,000 drivers punished for being poor

There are 300,000 drivers in the state of Washington ( pop. 6,724,540) whose drivers license is suspended, mostly in the 3rd degree, because they cannot afford to pay fines and court fees for tickets they received because the legislature has raised fines, thus turning the DOL and law enforcement into a source of increased revenue, instead of being just a licensing and regulatory agency as it was designed to be. If you cannot pay these fees within a short time they are turned over to a collection agency, where more fees and interest is added. If you cannot afford to pay the agency, your license is then suspended in the 3rd degree. If you are caught driving again, more fines, fees and interest are added to your penalty and the ability to recover is put even further out of reach. All of this can result in a criminal record and a negative credit rating while quickly adding up to thousands of dollars, which can affect your employability and access to credit. In the current state of the economy it is time for the state to come up with a workable alternative to this problem by implementing reasonable payment plans and/or community service in order for people to retain their driving privilages, while looking for employment or any of the many other reasons people need their licenses in day to day life. The state needs to implement a system where people have the ability to reasonably pay these penalties while retaining their right to legally drive in their in their day to day activities. This would also enable the state to save tax money by reducing repeated court appearances and possible incarceration costs.